


this is home

by noturssis



Series: This is home [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Astronomy major Oikawa, Awkward Kageyama Tobio, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Oikawa Tooru's Knee Injury, POV Oikawa Tooru, he still plays volleyball, lol thats a tag??, not here though but he does
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:55:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29908341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noturssis/pseuds/noturssis
Summary: Tooru moves to a new town for a fresh start when a very interesting delivery man starts to come around, bringing more than mail to Tooru’s life.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Series: This is home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199210
Comments: 11
Kudos: 81





	this is home

**Author's Note:**

> I've read this so many times, I'm going to pass out if I spot a spelling mistake.   
> I listened to "This is home" by cavetown, Disciples by Tame Impala (because it literally sounds like Oikawa *winks*), and Old friend by Mitski while writing this so if you see those themes in here...shhhh and go stream.

Tooru stood in front of the house with squinted eyes. A bookbag was on his back and a suitcase in each hand. He stared at the house for another minute before sighing, fumbling for the key in his pocket.

He hasn't seen the house before this, but he hadn't expected it to be so….  
The door swings open once he puts in the key, and he steps inside.  
"Musty." He mutters, kicking the door closed with his foot.

The somewhat modern house had belonged to his parents when they were young so it had some history behind it. Tooru would be foolish to even try and understand why they treasured the house so much.

He was only moving here because it was extremely close to the new college he would be attending. He didn't have a car yet but there was a bike somewhere in the house apparently, so he was sure he wouldn't have to walk every day but then again his knee…. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts.

Tooru continued inside the house, feeling a bit better at how the remaining sunlight streamed in from the windows. It made the old house not look so gloomy. He was sure he would have a lot of renovation to do, but for now, he had to unpack. And take a nap maybe.

A taxi had brought him here but the train ride had been brutal.

He never wants to be sandwiched between an old withering man and a whiny toddler again.

Tooru shuffles his way up the stairs, struggling a bit with his luggage and thanking God the stairs are still sturdy and not overgrown with moss or some other nasty shit.

He wrinkles his nose at the scent as he draws closer to where he assumes his room is. He swears if there's a dead bird or some shit he'll-

He opens the door and stares at what he sees. It's much worse than a dead animal.  
There's no mattress.

He drops his luggage in the hall and closes the door to the room. Sleep would no longer be an option. It looked like he would have to go out once more.

…..

Finding a furniture store wasn't very hard. The town was small and very close-knit. None of his neighbors seemed to leave the house very much or even be around his age range but all the shops and malls were only a maximum of 15 minutes away.

He had called another taxi because he didn't have the strength to ride a bike. Plus, the transportation wouldn't be able to bring the bike back so he’d have to ride it while the truck full of his furniture went on ahead.

It sounded embarrassing and an overall awful experience so he figured spending a bit extra wouldn't hurt.

His parents had agreed to pay for the electricity bill, his phone bill, and his food but everything else he had to figure out himself.   
While he waited for the store to finish loading his furniture, he glanced around the town to see if any spots were hiring. He didn't spot any at the moment so he took the remaining time to go pick up dinner. He had no groceries yet but he figured splurging on his first day wasn't a sin. He was too tired to cook!

…

The kind men from the store had brought his furniture in, helping him set it up, without even asking for extra. Tooru wondered if everyone in the town was this kind.

Now that Tooru could properly look at his room, he could see that it was pretty spacious. The paint was peeling but everything else was pretty great for such an old house. It was no problem though. Tooru knew he of all people would be able to spruce it up.

He smiled for the first time in days before starting to unpack his clothes and belongings into the room and he already felt a bit lighter.

After eating dinner, he face-timed his parents and showed them what he had done with the house so far. They seemed to like it and Tooru wouldn't deny that he was warming up to the musty house.  
He fell asleep peacefully.

…..

When Tooru had woken up, he was a bit disoriented and was confused about where he was. He blinked a few more times before remembering he had moved and let out a small groan, stretching, and sliding out of bed. The floor was startling cold for early September, but he hopped around in search of house slippers. 

He pulled them on before rushing to the bathroom to wash up.  
He had been scared last night that the water would be a murky brown but everything was working great!

Tooru could hardly believe how lucky he was. As he got ready, he carefully chose an outfit for himself to wear.

He knew that first impressions were everything and he couldn't have anyone in the old town thinking he was some rascal teen. He was 21 years old, thank you very much, and very sophisticated at that.

He scrutinized the forest green sweater that was staring at him before huffing and slipping it on, then shimmying into his jeans.

He hurried with putting on his shoes and grabbing his wallet, phone, and key. He had a lot to do today and had absolutely no time to waste. He had to go to the market to get some food in his fridge, cleaning supplies, paint, and possibly new window drapes. The ones currently adorning his windows were almost wretched.

Tooru refused to live in a house that didn't compliment him as a person and bright neon yellow was not his person. He couldn't imagine what his parents had been thinking, and he doubted it was some sort of trend in their day.

He lets out a small sigh of disgust before preparing to step out, unlocking the door and opening it.  
Tooru jumps back, a small yelp leaving his mouth as a figure picks itself up from a crouching position on his doormat. He had added it just last night, it made the house look more lively, inviting even.

"Hello!" He says slowly, looking at the startled boy in front of him. The boy is dressed in a post office uniform, blue hat snuggly over his head, although some wisps of his black hair were sticking out making him look especially frazzled. The blush spreading over his skin didn't help as he stared at Tooru with abnormally wide blue eyes, pink lips in an O shape of surprise.

They stare at each other for some seconds until the boy begins to squirm a bit, taking a step back.

"Good morning." Tooru tries, hoping the boy would respond. It would be awkward to be on bad terms with someone who handles your mail.

The boy stops looking so shocked, but still, his eyes do not decrease in size. It suddenly occurs to Tooru that maybe they're just that big.

"Morning." He mumbles, eyes darting to anywhere but Tooru's face. Weird.

"Have you got any mail for me?"  
"No...I just... " he starts before pausing and backing away a bit more. Was Tooru that intimidating that the boy couldn't even explain himself...or perhaps he was just shy?

Tooru gave him one of his best smiles, moving closer to the boy.

"It's alright, I'm new here. I didn't mean to startle you." He says softly. The boy seems to not like that for he stands up a bit straighter, a pout on his face.

“I wasn't startled," he says, putting extra emphasis on the word.   
"I just never have to deliver anything to this house so I was surprised at the welcome mat. Plus the lights were on and I could hear footsteps…that's all…" he trails off at the end of his frankly adorable rant, his cheeks puffing out. Tooru turns away to hide his laugh.

"Yes, of course. Now, where is that mail you mentioned?"  
The postal boy makes a small sound before turning to dig in his bag, pulling out an envelope, and handing it to him.  
Tooru peers at the letter before breaking into a grin.

**Shittykawa.  
I figured this letter would arrive by the time you properly settled down at that haunted house of yours. Plus I know you switched your phone off like an asshole! Either send me a letter back or I'll come up there and kill you.  
-Iwaizumi  
P.S (be safe stupid)**

Tooru couldn't help the happy tears that tried to fall from his eyes. It hadn't dawned on him just how lonely he would feel moving to a place with nobody for company and a huge house to himself. The affection he felt towards his best friend was suddenly tenfold.

He already missed him so much. He carefully put the letter into his coat pocket, sniffling, before looking back up to see the post boy still standing there, avoiding his eyes.  
"You're welcome to leave. If you want…" Tooru trailed off, feeling embarrassed at the stranger seeing him so emotional.

"Yeah, I’m...Yeah bye." He says before scampering off into his truck with his tail between his legs. A small snort left Tooru's nose before turning to lock his door. He would write back to Iwa-chan when he got home. For now, he had some work to be done.

….

College didn't start until next week, providing Tooru with plenty of time to elevate his house. And he knew just what to do. He had first littered the house with air fresheners to get rid of the awful musty smell that was wafting around the house.

Warm vanilla was always better than a swampy lake.

He then got to work in the living room.  
He suddenly wished he had waited to purchase a couch because he would have to move it if he wanted to properly clean the floor. He sighed before using all his strength to shove the couch against the wall. He pulled his mask more tightly over his face before dropping to the floor and getting to work.

He did that through every room in the house ( three bedrooms, a storage room, a laundry room, 1 bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room) especially scrubbing down every surface area in the kitchen.

That was where he stored his food after all and the stove wouldn't mind a deep wash.

After finishing up with his cleaning, he picks up the pale blue bucket of paint, making his way up to his room. He had previously spread the paint guard sheets on all his belongings because the paint was pretty but only on walls, not on his bed or clothes.

Tooru will admit it took him many articles and YouTube videos before he was confident enough to start painting. He painted his room with the white base and knowing it would take a while for it to dry, and decided to do some laundry while he waited.

The storage room was full of blankets, throw covers, bedsheets, pillow slips and even some of what he assumed were his parent’s old sweaters.

He carried them over to the laundry room, filling the washing machine with soap before dumping the laundry in.

He hummed to himself happily, his spirits lifting at being productive for the first time in maybe months.

No more moping around in bed, he was here to finally start moving forward with his life. He heard his stomach grumble and laughed a bit before slipping his way to the kitchen.  
Making himself lunch before the paint dried proved to be easy when he had actual food and not junk from a corner store.

…..

After the humdrum of sprucing up his home, the start of college was suddenly looming over him. He had received an email from the school, welcoming him and giving him his schedule for the first two semesters.

Tooru tries to quell the anxiety that was taking form in his chest, breathing slowly. This year wouldn't be a repeat of last year. He was going to get shit done.  
And with that, he nodded to himself firmly.

He had to go shopping for school supplies because he had left all his old materials at home, shoved under his bed, not wanting to bring that type of negativity with him. As he pulled on socially acceptable clothes, his phone rang. His head whipped around in surprise before grabbing for it and quickly picking it up.

"Hello?" He asked, using his shoulder to hold the phone to his ear as he pulled on his shoes. "Oikawa." the voice replied.

A wide grin split on his face.  
"Iwa-chan!! How are you?!" he exclaimed happily, practically waltzing down the stairs. He heard his friend yawn a bit tiredly.

"I'm alright. A bit tired but that's to be expected. School has already started here." He explains.

Iwaizumi was a sports science major so his days were full of constant research and studying. Tooru could relate, for he was an Astronomy major. He had always been interested in space and the universe...so much that he hoped one day…

He shook his head and cleared his throat before responding to his friend.

"Oh yeah? School doesn't start for another...2 days for me. Ha!" He teases and ignores Iwaizumi's threats. Couldn't catch him if he was 3 hours away.

He caught up with his friend as he walked to the mall that was connected to most of the small shops. Tooru knew he had a habit of coming to the store with one goal in mind and leaving with 6 finished so he sternly put a limit (plus Iwaizumi warned him about it) on how much he would spend. He walks into the supplies shop, the cold breeze flying into his face.

The store is as homely as he expected it to be, but it's in no way small. Tooru feels as if he's in school supply heaven and tries not to get too carried away with the mood-changing highlighters.

He was an adult he thought as he slipped one into his cart.

There didn't seem to be a very long line, just a few kids with their parents probably purchasing for the upcoming school year. He smiled to himself at the children's excitement before standing behind the family in front of him, patiently waiting his turn.

"Welcome to Miwa's supply store, today we’re having a...oh." the soft voice halts. Tooru blinks away from the 500 pack index cards he had been eyeing, to look at the cashier who had suddenly cut off. He felt his own eyes widen in surprise.

"Delivery guy!" he exclaims with a smile. The boy looks heartbreakingly unimpressed and lets out a small sigh, pointing to his shirt. Tooru's eyes trail down to see the name tag that says Kageyama.  
"Oh. Well, hello Kageyama…" he waits, wondering if the boy will fill in the blank.  
"Kageyama Tobio." He says, big eyes shrinking as he analyzes Tooru.

"It's nice to meet you again Tobio-chan. I'm impressed! Juggling two jobs?" he says plopping all his soon-to-be purchases on the counter.

"I'm just helping my sister out. She owns this place." He says, scanning each material before bagging them.  
As Tooru watches him work, he watches with a sinking dread as the bags grow. He hadn't bought THAT much, but he couldn't imagine being able to walk home with all those heavy bags hanging off him. 

He could call a taxi, but that would be dipping into his clothing funds...no way was he going to start school without a new wardrobe.

He inwardly apologized to his parents, he was sure they'd get it.  
He sighs, trying not to show how worried he was when Tobio decides to speak up.  
"I get off at 6."

Tooru raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what that has to do with him.  
"Eh?"  
"I get off at 6…" he trailed off, eyes darting to the numerous bags before tapping something into the machine and giving Tooru a receipt after he paid.  
Tooru stares at the boy as Tobio slowly blinks back at him, face innocent and somewhat hopeful.

The kid seemed to be refusing to elaborate, so Tooru watched as he began to shuffle into what he assumed was the employee room. Honestly, why was he still standing here? It was obvious the kid was a little weird. For all he knew he was about to get initiated into some cult.

He stayed put, patiently tapping the counter when Kageyama shuffled back out, this time in normal clothing, a hoodie on his body and a beanie pushed down on his smooth dark hair. He picked up some of Tooru's bags, moving from behind the counter and walking out of the store. 

Tooru blinks in complete astonishment before grabbing the remaining bags and rushing after him. When he finally keeps pace with the boy, his mouth moves but nothing comes out.

"T-thank you!" He exclaims finally. Kageyama shrugs.  
The boy is either unnaturally kind or maybe very bored. It somehow seems like a mixture of both with how bright his eyes suddenly are.

"What's your name?" He asks as they turn, nearing Tooru's house. He starts, forgetting that the boy was even there for a moment. The walk had been pretty quiet from the start but Tooru is mostly startled that he hadn't introduced himself already.

"Oikawa Tooru." He says, sending Kageyama a small smile.  
The boy nods firmly, looking pleased, and grips the bag a little tighter.  
Tooru almost openly coos at how adorable the kid is.

When they eventually arrive at his house, Tooru rushes ahead of him to open the door so Kageyama can easily get inside. He did take most of the bags.  
God, not having a car was so troublesome…

Tooru led him to the living room and motioned for him to just put it on the couch.  
"Thank you so much Tobio-chan." He says grinning again. The boy nods, opening his mouth before closing it again.  
"Would you…like to stay for tea?" He asks him. Not that he…wanted him to stay or anything. It was just a polite thing to do!

"I can't. I have to get back to the dorms.…." He trails off looking embarrassed.  
Tooru blinks, wondering why he feels embarrassed before it clicks.

"Oh, I didn't know you had curfews at the college dorms. Thank God I didn't sign up for one."  
Tobio waves his hands letting out a small strangled noise. Like a cat when it's stepped on.

"We don't have curfews! I mean, my roommate lost his key so I have to get home...before him." He finishes.  
Tooru lets out a laugh before sighing. This kid…….

"It's alright Tobio-chan. Maybe next time?" He asks, walking him back to the door.  
Kageyama nods, his hands curling into fists and he suddenly looks determined. Tooru tries not to laugh again.  
"Next time."  
" Alright...well be safe. Goodnight," he says waving as Kageyama slips through.  
"Good night Oikawa-san."

Tooru slowly closes the door, pausing for a minute to process.

"Oikawa-san huh." He murmurs, a small smile tugging at his lips as he makes his way to the kitchen.

……….

His first day of school is not as eventual as he expected it to be. He struggled a bit to find his classes but that's as worse as it gets. After attending his morning classes, he walks back home and enjoys the breeze. He knows the first week won't be anything special but he still dedicates his time to studying the syllabus and researching directions for upcoming projects.

Tooru even had a routine now. He woke up, dressed up, ate, then walked out the door for classes. He usually came back home around 3 and would arrive to a newspaper on his doorstep. He wonders if whoever delivers them comes right after he leaves or right before he gets back. He picks it up and goes inside, locking the door behind him before opening his drapes.

If he has homework, he gets it done the second he gets home...After eating lunch of course. Then after that, he falls asleep and wakes up in time for dinner.

A pretty standard routine if you ask him. He talks with his parents and Iwa-chan when he has the chance but the obvious silence that remains when he hangs up makes his spirits dampen.

He knew he would feel a bit isolated not being near anyone but he hadn't realized it would take a while for him to make friends at college as well. It's been a good week and he hasn't spoken to anyone!  
No one has even spoken to him either!

Tooru knew the town was relatively small so perhaps everyone knew each other and he was just the outlier…it stung a bit more than he cared to admit.

Tooru knew he was a people person, and sometimes thrived off the attention of others but being alone for a month now has put a lot into perspective for him...As in he needed to make friends fast.

How? He wasn’t exactly sure but…. At least he had an idea. Join a club maybe? 

Oh! The science club, that would be fun...probably.  
Tooru blinks, rolling himself out of bed. He promised to not mope anymore, but it was hard when he was feeling so down.  
Luckily, he had no classes today so as he made breakfast he imagines what he could do to lift his spirits.

He could bake? Shop? Or maybe even just take a walk around the park he had seen the other day.  
He waddles his way to the bathroom, and washes up, ignoring how wild his hair looks. Now was not the time to deal with bedhead. He made his way into the kitchen, wondering what to do when his doorbell rings.

He wonders who could be showing up at his house at.…11 in the morning. Perhaps he had slept in longer than he meant to.  
He opens his door, not at all surprised to see Kageyama placing a newspaper on his mat.

"Good morning Tobio-chan." He says waving at him.  
The boy somehow still looks startled to see him, as if he wasn't the one who rang the doorbell.

"Good morning Oikawa-san." He says, tufts of hair still sticking out of his hat although he did have a….normal outfit on?  
"Just how many jobs do you have?"  
"Only three," he says with a shrug.

Tooru wonders what the hell is going on through this kid’s head before he sighs.

"Would you like to come in for breakfast?"  
"Uhmmm...I'm still...on the job..." He says trailing off. Tooru facepalms at himself, feeling his face flush, and watches in embarrassment as Kageyama blushes as well.

"Well-"  
"This is my last street!" He exclaims hurriedly, large eyes somehow getting wider at his own outburst. 

"So I can be back in 10 minutes…" he trails off, eyes hopeful. Tooru wonders if Kageyama has problems with eye contact or perhaps it’s just with him.

Tooru lets out a breath of relief at not completely embarrassing himself before nodding.  
"Of course. The door will be open so you can just come in."  
Kageyama nods firmly, before stomping away.

Tooru can't stop nor want to stop the giggle that leaves his mouth as he slides back to his kitchen. Well, now that he knew he would have a guest, going all out wouldn't hurt.  
He got started on steaming the rice before turning and pulling fish out from his fridge. He wasn't sure if Kageyama likes miso soup but who doesn't like fish right?

He cut the fish into even pieces before sprinkling the fish with olive oil. As he waited for the grill rack to heat up he turned to check on the rice, draining the water.

By the time the rice is done, he's flipping the fish and Kageyama is walking in, looking more than awkward, standing at the doorway like that. Tooru offers him a small smile and motions for him to move closer.  
"Do you like miso soup?"  
"Yes."  
Tooru watched him, trying to see if he meant it and wasn't just saying it because he was a guest. He should've known better though, one thing he was getting to know about the boy was that he was startlingly honest.

"Okay, well you can watch over the fish and I'll get started on it." He says before walking away and grabbing the stock from his cupboard.  
It doesn't take long for them to finish, Tooru leading him to the living room.

"Sorry… I hope you don't mind eating on the floor. I didn't bother ordering a chabudai when moving." He apologizes.  
Kageyama does not look perturbed, he just shrugs again.  
"We don't have one in the dorm so I'm used to eating on everything but one. It's okay." He assures.

Tooru nods, and they begin to eat. Tooru can't help but admit that he's never been friends with someone so quiet but...he really likes Kageyama.

As they eat, he asks questions that aren't invasive but also fun to answer. Tooru noticed that he's a good listener as well, and he isn't so shy if you're direct with your intentions.  
Tooru learns that Kageyama goes to the same college as him but is an undecided major. Tooru wonders what exactly he's doing at the college. With his build, he could play a sport but Tooru couldn't imagine which one.

He's in the middle of talking about the awful train ride he had endured to come to the town when Kageyama's hand snaps up to cover his mouth as his shoulders shake.

"I...Tobio?…" He trails off not realizing that the story was funny. It was borderline traumatic for him!  
Kageyama waves his hand, face flushed and Tooru's mind momentarily blanks at the smile on his lips.

"I'm sorry! It's not the story, it's just...y-your hair!" he exclaims before dissolving into more laughter.  
"My hair?" he asks, pushing his tray off his lap and pulling his phone out, looking at his reflection.  
He lets out a wail of anguish at how one side is matted down while the other half curls up in a mess.

He glanced back at a Kageyama that's watching him with a small smile and he suddenly doesn’t mind that he's being laughed at.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up Mr. My hair can't fit under hats." He says sticking his tongue out. 

Kageyama gasps, hands landing on his hat that's currently askew.

"It's not my fault! The uniform hats are always a bit small!"  
Tooru snickers, standing up, wobbling a bit but taking their trays to the kitchen.  
"Uh Huh. Sure, blame that hat."

He hears Kageyama growl and jumps out of his radius before he can lunge for him, laughing all the way to the kitchen.  
"Would you like tea now?"  
Kageyama makes a small sound, ruefully shaking his head.  
"I have afternoon classes so I must be on my way now Oikawa-san." He says, sounding truly sorry.

"It's alright, I'm not going anywhere. I'll see you out," he reassured with a smile, walking him towards the door.  
“Goodbye Oikawa-san." He says looking like he wants to bow. Tooru hurriedly stops him from doing so because that makes him feel old and it's embarrassing.

"See you Tobio-chan. And thanks for the newspapers."

Kageyama nods firmly once more, opening his mouth to reply but then closing it. Tooru tries his best to look reassuring, hoping that Kageyama will stop cutting off what he wants to say.  
"Have a great day!" He exclaims a pretty blush on his face before dashing off, not allowing Tooru to even respond.

Tooru blinks after his now small figure before huffing out a small laugh and turning back into his house.  
Tobio-chan was so fucking cute.

……

Tooru has been living here for two months, and he will happily admit his mood had skyrocketed since becoming friends with Kageyama. Since Kageyama delivers his mail and the daily newspaper he's had no choice but to run into the busy boy.

He obviously didn't mind this, wholeheartedly enjoying Kageyama's company.

He still got lonely at times but it was getting better. He had signed up for the space club and would be attending the first meeting next week. He was almost buzzing with excitement at the thought of making new friends and getting immersed in the very thing he loves. It was a win-win situation.

He smiled to himself as he typed an essay on his laptop. He was feeling especially productive today despite the gloomy weather. 

It had been raining non-stop since the morning time, and he was a bit worried about Kageyama. He cursed himself for not asking for his number by now but decided he can't do much. It's way past the time for newspaper deliveries and he hasn't ordered anything so he wouldn't be seeing Tobio today anyways.

It made his heart clench a bit, but he shakes his head, getting back to work.

He works for hours, typing different documents up for his class and taking notes on documentaries assigned to him.  
He glanced back out the window to see that the rain hadn't slowed down one bit. A crack of thunder sounds so suddenly that it causes him to jump, his laptop almost falling off his lap.  
He quickly saved his assignments, not wanting to lose anything if the power goes out. 

He closes it and walks over to his kitchen, prepared to make himself some tea when his doorbell rings.  
Tooru's eyes widened in surprise, wondering who could possibly be out and about in weather like this.  
He isn't exactly surprised to see a soaked Kageyama when he opens the door.

He’s never really surprised when Kageyama is at his door.

"Tobio! Come in, come in." He ushers him inside hurriedly closing the door so the cold air doesn't attack the already shivering boy. He looks like a drowned cat, standing in his hallway, shrinking on himself.  
Tooru dashes to the laundry room to get him a towel and hurriedly throws it over him, rubbing at his hair.

"What were you doing outside?! You're going to get sick!" he scolded, maybe accidentally rubbing his face too hard.

Kageyama lets out a gasp as the towel slips off his face, allowing him to breathe properly. His nose and cheeks are a bright red, hair flying all over the place and lips chapped.  
He looks awful.  
Kinda.  
Kinda cute.

But awful Tooru decides, glaring down at him and waiting for a proper explanation.

"I didn’t mean to inconvenience you. I was just delivering some late packages because you know your street is always my last one but I got caught in the rain because someone else took the truck today and I couldn't run back to the dorms." He rushed out.

Tooru nods slowly, helping him push off his sopping wet jacket.

"It's alright," He assures, letting a hand rest on his shoulder before turning and motioning for him to follow.  
"You go ahead and take a hot bath. Hopefully, you aren't -"

Kageyama cuts him off with a loud sneeze, sending the boy back a couple of steps. Then thunder cracks and he jumps, hand curling tight around Tooru's bicep.  
"Scared of thunder?" He teases a bit leading Kageyama to the bathroom. He glared at him, lip curled.  
"No." He replied but didn't let go of his arm. Tooru hides his laughter with a cough before telling Kageyama how to use the shower and that he would have a fresh set of dry clothes waiting for him. He nodded before shuffling into the bathroom and closing the door.

Tooru rushed to his room and tried to find something that could fit Kageyama.

Tooru was a bit taller than him, but he had long legs regardless so he'd have to find something that would keep him warm and didn't end at his shins.  
He pulled it out of his closet before dashing back to the bathroom.

The bathroom is already steamed with heat from the water and Tooru may like to tease but he can respect privacy! He averts his eyes from Kageyama's shadow in his curtain, replacing his soaking wet clothes with his warm and freshly washed ones.

He should really get started on that tea, and maybe search his house for any cold medicine.  
Just in case.

By the time Kageyama is out of the shower, Tooru already has tea poured into cups and is bringing it out into the living room.  
"I hope you don't mind how I make.…oh."   
He pauses.  
He knew...He means he hadn't expected the sweater to be THAT big on Kageyama but he watches in awe as he rolls the sleeves up, staring at him in confusion.

"What?"

Tooru shakes his head, blinking fast to stop his mind from going blank. He really has to work on that.

"Nothing, I was just saying that I wasn't sure how you liked tea but…" he trails off handing him a cup.  
Kageyama takes a small sip from it and smiles.  
"It's good."  
Tooru nods, turning away to catch his suddenly short breath.

He glanced back out the window, seeing how the wind is making the rain worse. To the point that leaves are flying off trees. He hurriedly closes his drapes, not wanting Kageyama to get any more startled.

"The rain doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon...does your roommate still not have a key?" He asks.  
"No, he got one just last week."  
Tooru smiles, clapping his hands together.  
"Well, that settles it! Sleepover!" He exclaims happily, humming to himself as he slides to his kitchen in search of a snack.

"Sleep..over?"

"Well yes, Tobio-chan. It's awful out there, surely you don't think I'd let you die!" he exclaims with a laugh before handing Kageyama a cookie as well.  
He bites into it carefully, looking up at Tooru with doe eyes.  
"Thank you Oikawa-san."

God, he's too cute for anyone's good.

Tooru huffs and looks away quickly.  
"Don't mention it. Now, are you ready for a movie marathon?"  
"What are we watching? "  
"Alien documentaries of course."  
"I should've known. You know, it's not healthy -"

Tooru throws a pillow at him, hitting him in the face before he can finish.

"Respect your elders!"  
Kageyama rolls his eyes before scooting closer to him on the couch.  
"Sorry, Oikawa-san."

……

Kageyama doesn't even make it past the third documentary before he's out like a light, head resting on Tooru's lap.  
Tooru can't exactly blame him, the kid had been on duty when he rushed into his house and it was already 9, of course, he was exhausted.

He picked up the remote and turned off the television, leaving the room dark, with only the moonlight peeking in through his windows to light up the room.

He looks down at his Kageyama and lifts a hand to run his fingers through his smooth hair.  
Kageyama makes a low sound, snuggling closer to him.  
Tooru had to cover his mouth lest he starts cooing at him.

After a couple of minutes of creepy staring, Tooru realized he was tired as well if the yawns he kept letting out were any clues. He glanced down at the boy in his lap with a sigh. It would be absolutely disrespectful of him to just get up and wake Kageyama. It seemed as if he had no choice but to stay there and be a pillow for said boy. Tooru was also too happy to push him off, not when Kageyama was showing how much he trusted him.

Kageyama was hogging all of the blankets but Tooru decided he could make some sacrifices and go without for one night. Kageyama was radiating enough heat for both of them.

….

Waking up wasn't as embarrassing as Tooru assumed it would be. It felt almost normal.

Besides, Kageyama was still too sleepy to blush bright red and scramble off him, screaming apologies and bowing until his back gave out. He just unwrapped his arms from around Tooru, using a hand to rub at his eye before ambling off his lap.

Tooru blinked slowly at the clumsy display before falling back over and promptly falling asleep. 

He must have been more worn out than he thought to be sleeping this deep while Tobio-chan still was wandering around somewhere in the too-big house.  
When he wakes up again it's to a note on his counter with a phone number and a fairly blunt note. Total Kageyama style.

He noticed that Kageyama took his now dry clothes from the dryer but also left with the clothes Tooru gave him.  
He hides his grin behind his hand even though there's no one to see him.

Tooru stretches before making his way to the bathroom to freshen up. He had things to catch up on. Plus, his stomach was growling.

……

Today is the first day of the space exploratory club and to say Tooru is excited is an understatement. He's beyond excited, perhaps even…elated!  
He snorts to himself before throwing himself onto the couch.

His phone rings before he can have another thought and he quickly picks it up.

"Hello?"  
"Shit bird." Iwaizumi fondly says. Tooru rolls his eyes, hoping Iwaizumi can hear how dumb he sounds.

"Wonderful way to greet your best friend who you haven't seen in months!" He exclaims glancing at the time before standing back up to hurry himself out.

It would have an awful impression of him if he walked in late, hair flying at different angles.

"It won't be months soon now."

Tooru pauses in putting on his boots.  
"Eh?"  
"You heard me. We have a long weekend this week and I thought.…I could visit you. " he stutters out like the idiot he is. Honestly, Iwaizumi expressing himself was like getting a magician to fess up.  
"Awwww Iwa-chan! I knew you missed me!"

"I didn't! Someone just had to make sure you're actually resting…"  
Tooru smiles softly, continuing to lace his boots up.

"Don't worry, I haven't even looked at a volleyball since I've left." He assures. He heard a quiet sigh of relief and can't help the smile that grows on his face.

"And I'm sure you're resting your knee? Still wearing the brace?"  
"Sorry mom, but I don’t need it much anymore. And I can't rest my legs much, I do have to walk to school and all. "

"Tooru."

" Hey! I take a taxi when I can, I'm not exactly rolling in dough."

"Yeah, well at least you're trying I guess…"

"You guess?! Anyways, how long are you gonna stay? Oh, I can't wait to show you around, this town is just so cute, and you'll have to meet Tobio-chan I know you'll like him and -"  
"Tobio chan? The boy you haven't stopped talking about since you moved?"

Tooru paused, his eyes squinting at his phone.  
"I don't know what you mean by that."

"You haven't shut up about how cute he is since you've seen him!"  
"He is! Somebody else had to know about his beauty!"  
"Of course, of course. Can't wait to meet him."

Tooru grins at the genuinely pleased note in his friend's voice. He was just glad Tooru wasn't being a loner.

"So? How long are you staying?" He asks again as he leaves the house, starting on his way to the college. Surely, Iwaizumi didn't have to know.  
"5 days. And I can hear the wind blowing Oikawa."  
"That's not wind, it's my blow dryer."

"Yeah, and those aren't your favorite boots crunching on all the leaves…. "

"I should've known I couldn't fool Iwa-chan."

"I'm serious. If I get there and you can't even get up to show me around I'll kill you. "  
"That's what you always say." He groans rolling his eyes as he makes a familiar turn, the school starting to come in view.

"Because I always mean it. Anyways, I'll let you get to your little nerd club." He teases.  
"It's not nerdy you asshole!"

"Uh Huh. See you soon. "  
Tooru grins once more before saying the same and hanging up, his spirits even higher. Today was going wonderful!

……

Not.

By the time the club meeting was over, it was pouring. He didn't have any money on him to call a taxi and even if he wanted to, his phone was dead! He had used up half his battery talking to Iwaizumi which was ridiculous. It also reminded him that he urgently needed a new phone as much as he needed a job.

God, this was awful he thought as he stared outside the window from inside the building. While the meeting had gone great, he didn't know any of them well enough to ask for a ride, so he had just waved with a smile as they all rushed out, probably already at home cozy.

Tooru sighs, running a hand through his hair before glancing out the window again.

He could try and wait it out but then it would be entirely too dark to walk at all…

He decides to try his luck, walking out of the clubroom and down the hall. He didn't exactly have the university memorized, but he was sure the exit to the parking lot was somewhere down the hall. He jogs down the steps before turning when a faint squeaking noise floats down the hall. 

His eyebrows raise and he knows he should mind his business but he honestly couldn't help but look. He creeps towards the door where the light is gleaming through and almost drops his phone and the books he's holding in his hands.  
It's a gym.  
A volleyball gym.

He almost turns away in complete shock. He had no idea that the school had a volleyball team! How had he missed this?

He knows he promised Iwaizumi but...a small peek wouldn't hurt, right?

He leans a bit closer and his heart drops to his feet when he sees a familiar figure sitting on the bench, carefully sipping from his water bottle as he looks up through his lashes at the person in front of him, who seems to be explaining something to him. He looks completely attentive, his eyes sharp and Tooru feels a shiver run down his back.

He backs up just in time as another person rushes past him to slap Kageyama's back with a loud yell. Kageyama looks beyond startled, wide blue eyes turning towards him. They grin at him, before dashing off at the murderous glare Kageyama sends his way before chasing the small bright orange boy.

Tooru hides a fond laugh at the spectacle before the orange boy begs for mercy.

"Ah! Kageyama-kun! I heard you're hanging out with the grand king nowadays." He says flopping himself on the floor beside Kageyama. Tooru feels sick all of a sudden, knowing they were referring to him. Did Kageyama know who he was all along?

Was that why...they were friends?

"Yeah, so?" Kageyama says, wiping sweat off his brow.

Okay...that was good, He didn't seem to care..that was a good sign, right?

"What do you mean so? Aren't you gonna...you know!"  
"You know what? "  
"You idiot! Aren't you going to ask him to teach you? You've been looking up to him since middle school!" The orange-haired kid yells.  
Tooru watches as Kageyama blushes red.

"I considered it but…I don't think Oikawa-san would like that very much." He stutters out, wringing his hands.  
The boy beside him looks lost.

"You know he...seriously injured his knee. He doesn't play anymore." Kageyama explains. 

Tooru resents that. Kageyama was saying it like he had given up or something. As if he was no longer good. He feels a hot anger course through him, and somewhere in his mind, he knows he shouldn’t be upset.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he can't teach you! Now's your time to shine Kageyama-kun, take his place as grand king!" A teammate from the other side yells.

"Kageyama is already king of the court, why would he want to be a grand king!" The orange kid says.  
"Yeah, why would I want to?" Kageyama asks, raising an annoyed eyebrow.

Tooru squeezed his eyes shut, already feeling tears come. No, He couldn't cry. Not here and definitely not because of this. He shouldn't have listened at all. He shouldn't have even came here.

He sniffs a bit before dashing off into the rain.  
Damn his clothes and the stupid textbooks he was lugging around.  
Damn everyone.

…….

"Oikawa deserves the title of grand king. He's amazing, even now! I can tell, by the way, he still moves, and his hands!" Kageyama exclaims with a smile. Hinata smirks at him, wiggling his eyebrows.  
"You sure do talk about his hands a lot."  
"They're very nice hands! "  
Is what Tooru never hears.

……..

Tooru thinks about the unforgettable look of shock on Kageyama's face when they had first met and almost guts himself for being so stupid.  
He should've known.   
There's no way someone as shy as Kageyama would willingly be friends with him without wanting something in return. He curses himself once more before unpausing the video and turning his attention back to it. He gasped, his breath caught in his throat as he watched Kageyama deliver an unbelievable serve.

He didn't realize that Kageyama was also famous in his own right in the volleyball world. Countless videos were uploaded of him being practically flawless to the internet, how had Tooru been so so fucking-

"..Stupid! Get up!" He heard a voice yelled, as his cover was yanked away from him.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Iwaizumi asked with a raised eyebrow, glancing at the still-running video of Kageyama making an almost impossible save.  
Tooru hisses at him, trying to snatch back his blanket.

Iwaizumi steps back.

"You look awful." is what he says and he probably thinks he's being helpful but he's so not.

"Leave me to mope and soak in my misery." He groans burying his head under a pillow. Iwaizumi rips that away from him as well.  
"Get up."

Tooru opens his mouth to beg him to leave him be when his phone rings. Tooru jumps, tossing the phone at Iwaizumi who glared at him fiercely but catching the phone anyways.

"I wish you would hear him out, you didn't even-"

"No! He knew who I was and didn't say anything. I heard him, he thinks I'm nothing!" Oikawa explained, desperately holding back his tears.  
Iwaizumi 's face softens but his gaze is still stern.

"How exactly do you explain to your out-of-work idol that they're everything to you? Huh? How would you react Oikawa?" Iwaizumi asks.

Tooru shrugs, turning his face away.

His friend sighs heavily.

"Look, I'm not defending him. Yeah, he should've told you but you know Kageyama better than I do and you wouldn't stop talking about how shy he was! What did you expect?"

"Are you on my side or his Iwa-chan? You haven't even met the kid."  
"But you have, and you have even less faith in him than I do. I'm always on your side but you didn't even hear him out…." Iwaizumi trails off.

Tooru was stubborn, he knew and deep down he knew Iwaizumi was right. If Kageyama truly didn't care he wouldn't be calling and texting him after his two days of going awol on the boy. Tooru lets out a defiant huff.  
Iwaizumi sighed again before tossing his phone back on the bed.

"I'm making breakfast, if it's cold by the time you get up, don't blame me." He says before quietly leaving the room.  
Tooru felt guilt rise in his chest. He was supposed to be showing his best friend around town. Iwa had come to visit him and here he was moping around like some child.

He huffed, pulling himself out of bed and stomping towards the bathroom.

Nobody was going to ruin his day out with his best friend.  
Not even stupid Tobio-chan.

……

Tooru misses Kageyama. 

A lot. 

Everything he sees reminds him of the boy and his heartbeat sounds erratic as they pass by the material store where Tooru knows he has a shift right now. He tried not to stare at it too longingly but by the confused look Iwaizumi gives him, he thinks he might be failing.

"What? You need something from there?" He asks, jabbing a thumb in its direction. Tooru hurriedly grabs his arm, and quickly drags him away from the area.

"No, of course not! Now, what else do you want to see before we go get dinner?" He asks, plastering a smile on his face. His friend looks dubious but shrugs before pointing to the park. 

Tooru grins and leads him there. The park! It was good, and it definitely didn't remind him of-  
Oh, who was he kidding? They always took short walks there on Saturday evenings when and if they were free.   
Tooru clenched Iwaizumi's arm a bit tighter and if he noticed he didn't say a thing.

He seriously misses Kageyama.

….

"You know, you promised to introduce me to him. And it's my 4th day here, so when is that going to happen?" Iwaizumi asks, glancing at him over his cup of coffee.   
Tooru ignores his question.

"That was before...you know." He eventually says, bitterly biting into his piece of toast.

"Imagine how sad he is right now..." Iwaizumi says dramatically sympathetic. Tooru glared at him and tried to respond but the bell rings. He huffs and puts down his toast, making his way to the door.

"Yeah well, he can't be doing worse than me. And who's side are you even on, honestly, you haven't even met him, and yet you can't stop-"

He stops in shock as he sees who's at his door, holding a newspaper but is in his normal clothing.

"Oikawa-san." Kageyama breathed out, blue eyes dark and sparkling, a faint blush on his cheeks.  
Tooru steps back and slams his door shut.

"Who was that?" Iwa asks from the kitchen.  
"Nobody."

The doorbell rings again, this time accompanied by knocking and whines of his name.  
"Well, nobody seems excited to see you Shittykawa."

Tooru ignores him and steps away from the door, content to ignore Kageyama forever when he pauses, his heart stopping as well.  
"Tooru-san! " Kageyama yells.

Well, he can't possibly keep the door closed after that.

He dashes back to the door, ripping it open to see Kageyama almost fall over, looking up at him innocently like he hadn't tried to knock his door down just seconds earlier. 

He smiles, standing up straight.

"You’re alive." He says simply, handing Tooru the newspaper before turning to walk away.

What.

"T-Tobio!" He stutters, grabbing his arm to stop him from leaving. Kageyama looks startled as if he can't believe that Tooru would ask him not to go. What the hell?  
"Yes?"  
"You can't just say that and then walk away!"

"Oh, well you haven't been responding to me for a couple of days now, so I-I just assumed I had done something wrong." He mumbles, suddenly looking anxious as he played with his hands. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright…and you are!" He exclaims back to smiling that sad smile of his and Tooru felt his heart shatter in his chest.

Iwaizumi was right. Kageyama was suffering as bad, almost worse than he was and he hadn’t even done anything. It had been his insecurities in the way.

"Oh, Tobio." He sighs, reaching out to wrap him in his arms. Kageyama makes a small confused noise before letting himself be squished against Tooru's chest, hugging him back as well.  
"So...you aren't mad?" He asks, his voice small and Tooru suddenly remembers the article he had skimmed over about Kageyama's time in middle school. He squeezes him harder.

"No, I'm not. I was but...I'm not. Now I'm not." He says firmly, squeezing Kageyama once more before pulling back. The boy is looking up at him as if he's the sun and it's making Tooru dizzy.

"What did I do that made you upset before?" He asks, hands curling in the fabric of his shirt and pulling him close.  
Tooru suddenly feels embarrassed, how could he admit that he was eavesdropping?

"You know me?"

"Hm?" Kageyama asked, not at all concerned with what he was saying but instead was trying to snuggle up to him while they were still standing on his doorstep.

"You knew me? Before, we met. You knew who I was right?" He asks.  
Kageyama immediately stiffens and looks back up at him with a guilty expression.

"Yes...I knew who you were. I only didn't say anything because I didn't want you to get annoyed!" He exclaims urgently. Tooru sighs again, shaking his head.  
"It’s fine Tobio, I know that now."

"I almost passed out the first time I saw you, I wasn't planning to befriend you. " he continues, looking especially anxious.

Tooru blinks in shock, before quickly wrapping his arms around him again and holding him tight once more.

"It’s alright Tobio! I swear, I'm not mad at you! I understand now that you didn't do it to be sneaky, I was just a little hurt."  
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry Oikawa-san."  
"Oikawa-san? What happened to Tooru?" He asked, pulling back so he could see the pretty blush that spread across the boy's face.

"Heat of the moment," he says before his eyebrows scrunched in thought.

"How did you know that I knew you-"

"It honestly doesn't matter, hey have you had breakfast yet? I was just working on it!" He exclaims, cutting him off and dragging Kageyama into the house. Kageyama looks bewildered but goes along with it anyways.

"Iwa-chan! Tobio-chan is here!" He exclaims grinning as the man turns away from his phone, a slight smile on his face.

"I was wondering what you were doing out there. It is nice to meet you Kageyama-kun" he says, directing a smile at a flushed Kageyama.

"Ah, hello Iwa…." He trails off glancing at him with wide eyes.  
"It’s Iwaizumi."  
"Hello Iwaizumi-san!" he exclaims way too loudly causing Tooru to snort. Kageyama even attempts to bow but Iwaizumi stops him with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Tooru knows he still needs to talk to Kageyama but for now...  
He watched with a happy smile as Kageyama and Iwaizumi cracked eggs, talking quietly.  
For now, the talk could wait.

…..

And wait it does. Tooru is not surprised to find out Kageyama can evade communication just as well as he can.

Iwaizumi was already heading back home so there was nobody to sit them down and force them to speak. It would just have to come naturally.  
Tooru did not know when that would but surely it would come.

They're walking back from the train station, quietly talking among themselves when he gets a text message.

IWACHAN:  
you still have to talk with Kageyama you know.  
If you don’t, I'll know.  
And then I'll kill you.

Tooru snorts, rolling his eyes before shaking his head. He shoved his phone in his pocket and turned to glance down at an unknowing Kageyama who was pressed up against his side.

It was pretty cold, they were entering the month of December.

Tooru suddenly feels shy when he holds out his hand, his heart thumping in his chest. If Kageyama decided to hold it, it would be nice right? It would be fine if he didn't Tooru would be-

He somehow still flinches when Kageyama does slide his perfectly manicured fingers against his. Now that Tooru was really looking at them, he noticed how well kept and shiny they were.

"You have really pretty hands." He blurted out with absolutely no tact.  
Kageyama laughs quietly, squeezing his hand.  
"Thank you Oikawa-san. You do as well." He responds with a smile and Tooru can't help but return it.  
He thinks back to what Iwaizumi said and sighs.

"Would you…like to come over? And talk?" He quietly asks.

Kageyama nods slowly, looking a bit scared but Tooru firmly squeezes his hand again.  
They're going to be fine.

…….

When they get to Tooru's house, they shed off their outside clothes and Tooru scrambles away to turn up the heat.

When they are finally situated on the couch, they talk. Tooru explains, with a lot of embarrassment and shame that he had eavesdropped on his conversation. And he told Kageyama how he felt about what he heard, and how it seemed to him at the moment and Kageyama nodded, looking thoughtful.

Tooru is glad that Kageyama isn't mad at him for jumping to conclusions.

"Of course I'm not mad at you. I mean, you missed the most important part of what I said." He sighs rolling his eyes.  
Tooru lights up like a Christmas tree at that.

"What did you say?! Huh? What was it?" He asks, bouncing excitedly.  
Kageyama turns his nose up and firmly shakes his head.

"No, no! I guess you'll just have to wait for another opportunity to eavesdrop." He teases with a smirk.

"Tobioooo." He moans in sorrow, pulling him on top of him and wrapping around his squirming figure tightly.

"Get off me you octopus."

"Tell me what you said!" He retaliates, digging his fingers in Kageyama's firm sides.

Kageyama lets out some weird squawking noise that has Tooru laughing into his neck.

Kageyama sighs, and finally relaxes into him, head resting on his chest and legs curling with his.  
Tooru feels his heart race, and he knows he's blushing, he's only glad Kageyama cannot see.

"I just…said that you were amazing and earned your title as grand king. I had no intention of replacing you, I really did hope to learn from you." He mumbles.  
Tooru blinks, feeling his heart clench. He hasn't felt this feeling in a while but he doesn't waste time trying to remember what it is.

Instead, he wraps his arms tighter around Kageyama.  
"Thank you."

"It’s true. " is all he says back, long fingers tracing a pattern on his arm.

“Would you mind me watching you play one day?" Tooru asks, feeling nervous about his response.  
Kageyama immediately looks up at him, chin digging in his chest painfully but Tooru finds he doesn't mind with the way Kageyama is looking up at him.

"I would like that. We even have a game next Tuesday. I can get you tickets." He offers excitedly.  
Tooru smiles ruffling his hair.  
"I'd love that." He sighs, his head tilting back.

Tooru likes him he realizes shortly after Kageyama had to leave because his shift at his sister's store starts soon.

Tooru finds himself missing him the second he walks out and it clicks. It should've clicked faster honestly.

There's only one thing to do.

He calls Iwaizumi.  
"I told you." He says before Tooru can even get a word in.  
"Oh shut up."

…….

"What do you mean what I wear doesn't matter?" Tooru asks in outrage. He hears Kageyama's exasperated sigh and searches through his closet harder.

"It doesn't. It's just a volleyball game. Besides, you….."  
"Eh? Didn't hear you, sorry Tobio-chan." He responds frustratingly looking for something to wear.  
"You look good in anything."  
"Aw, Tobio-chan! So sweet of you-"  
"I didn't mean it like that." He mumbles sounding petulant. Tooru snickers, imagining how hard he's blushing.

"Uhuh! How did you mean it then?"  
"The school colors are blue and white.” is what he says instead and Tooru rolls his eyes at the obvious diversion but says no more, searching for something white and blue.

"I don't know why you're stressing yourself out, everyone on the team is in love with you," Kageyama says with a small laugh.

Tooru rolls his eyes, finally finding a pretty presentable white shirt and searches for a blue pullover.

"They aren't in love with me Tobio-chan, that's you." He jokes before he can stop himself. He freezes in embarrassment and cringes at Kageyama's stunned silence.  
God, he really knew how to win them over huh?

"It starts at 6:00, so I've gotta go now. I'll see you there Tooru-san." He says before hanging up.  
Tooru stares at his phone before throwing himself in his bed. He screams into his pillow before hopping back up.

Kageyama had addressed him by his first name….so maybe he wasn't that put off by Tooru's comment…

Tooru let out a sigh before shaking himself. There was no use worrying himself silly. He had a game to get ready for.  
By the time he's ready, it's only thirty minutes before the game starts. He'll have to walk a bit faster if he wants good seats so he starts to speed walk.

When he gets there, it seems it's almost packed. Honestly, how did he not know this school had a volleyball team?

….

Oh.…  
If he had thought Tobio was amazing before, now he knew the boy was on a whole other level.  
He was insane. Like, pro insane. If Tooru wasn't sure he had liked him before, the way he couldn’t stop jumping at every score he made was definite proof. 

He didn't even have it in himself to be embarrassed at the chanting and cheering he had done. Tooru had enough decency to not tackle Tobio the second the game was over, he instead made his way over to one of the food stands.

He had only wanted one of those drinks with the crazy long straws but a strangled yelp caught his attention.

"Oikawa Tooru?!"  
His head snapped up, eyes darting to who called him when he realizes it's the lady in charge of the stand.  
"That's me." He says with a smile before going back to the menu. The cherry one looked good, but the lemon one...  
"What are you doing here?" She asks. 

Tooru thinks it's obvious what he's doing at a volleyball game but he needs to be polite. She is handling his drink after all. He opens his mouth to respond when she blushes red, waving her hand in his face.

"Sorry! That was so dumb, you're here to try out for the team!" She says excitedly.

Tooru feels his eyebrows raise in mild disbelief before shaking his head.  
"No, sorry. You must have the wrong-"  
"It’s a good thing too! That Kageyama boy is getting too cocky." She says rolling her eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, it's just since the old setter left, he's completely taken over!”

"Well obviously, that's what happens. When a setter leaves a new one must replace them right?" He responds, feeling his eyebrow raise higher. The girl huffs, obviously frustrated that he wasn’t joining in on the sudden Kageyama hate party.

"Well, yeah but-"  
"But nothing. Tobio worked hard for his spot on the team and he-"  
"Oikawa-san!"

Tooru turned to see Tobio rushing towards him, his face flushed from the game, and his hair a wild mess.  
Tooru still felt anger coursing through him, but he wanted a fucking drink in the first place and he was going to get it. He waved at Tobio before turning back to the stricken girl and gave her a tight smile.

"Can I have my drink to go?"  
"I-"  
"Oikawa-san, I'll buy you a drink." Tobio offers from beside him.  
"No, don't worry Tobio I want her to make me a drink."

The girl glances between them stunned and still doesn't even attempt to start on his drink.

"Hey, are you-"

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink from a different stand," Tobio says, gripping his hand and dragging him away.  
"She was being an asshole." Tooru defended at the pointed look Tobio gave him.

"Yeah, well. Most people are." He replied, leading him to a different food stand. They waited in line, and Tobio listened as Tooru talked about everything he enjoyed about the game before something dawned on him.

"Wait, is there really a rumor going around that I'm joining the team?" He asked, swirling his straw around in his fruit smoothie.  
Tobio looked thoughtful before firmly shaking his head.

"I don't remember one being started. Although, I don't know much campus gossip." He said with a breathy laugh. Tooru side-eyed him with a small smile before shrugging.

"Well, it doesn’t matter. I can't." He said pointing vaguely at his leg.

They were quiet for a while as they continued their walk around the now almost empty court.  
"Oikawa-san?"  
"Hm? " he asked, glancing over to Tobio who was chewing his straw in thought, looking almost…hesitant?

"Are you going to continue volleyball?"

"Obviously. Why would I ever quit?" He replied without a second thought.  
The grin that Tobio gives him is worth the aching of his heart.

…….

Tooru is very happy. After months of avoiding it, he was finally redoing the basement. Yes yes, clap it up for him, doing everything by himself. A strong independent adult.

"Why are you acting like I’m not here? I'm the one who did most of the heavy lifting!" Tobio exclaimed from the doorway. He turned in surprise. He had said that out loud?

"Yes, now come help out," Tobio said, rolling his eyes as he walked further into the house.

"Thanks, Tobio-chan! And don't worry, I'm totally pulling my weight." He says as continues to stare at his backyard. It was beautiful, and he wouldn't mind starting a garden.

Well, when he had time to. He was job hunting the rest of this week, and starting a garden in the dead of winter surely was an awful idea. You didn't have to be a gardener to know that at least.

He only looks back up when he sees Tobio wobbling with all the paint.  
"How’re you even affording all this?" He asks as Tooru took some from him to lighten the load.  
Tooru smirks and winks at him.

"Mind your business Tobio-chan!"  
"You don't even have a job."

"While you have three…" He trails off turning to glance at Tobio. He shrugs with a light smile.

"I like to keep busy."

"That, I can see. But, aren't you tired? You do take breaks right? " he asks as they descend down the steps.

"Of course I do! I don't work at my sister's shop all the time. Just when she needs help."

"Speaking of your wonderful beautiful amazing kind sister-"  
"You met her once and she's only one of those things. Buttering me up isn't going to make me recommend you for a job. " Tobio reprimanded, snorting at his disgruntled pout.

"But Tobio…."

"But nothing. You should just ask for an interview like everyone else. It's only fair."

"You would think being friends with the relative of a store owner would get you perks but nooo he would rather be a brat than help his amazing senpai out."

Tobio places the paint on the table before turning to face him with a raised eyebrow and the side of his lips quirked up.

"Friend?" He asks. Tooru pauses in tearing off the plastic of the paint to look at him.

"Huh? We're…friends right?" He asks, eyes widening considerably at the utter disbelief on the boy's face.  
Tobio tilts his head a bit, just staring at him before he nods slowly, a smirk growing on his face.

"Friends…yeah…" he responds before turning to go back upstairs.

"W-wait! What was that look for?! Tobio!" He exclaimed, scrambling after him.

"What look?" Tobio asks without turning to look at him and grabbing the drapes from the delivery truck they had rented.

"The...the look! I don't know I've never seen you make that face before! But you have a look!" He exclaimed, resisting the urge to stomp his feet.  
Tobio glanced at him, his expression still playful.  
"Are you feeling alright Oikawa-san? Perhaps the cold has gotten to you or-"

"Oh shut up!' He snapped, ignoring Tobio's silent laugh as he stomped over to the living room to grab all the painting material.

He...He would find out what that look had meant!  
Did Tobio not believe they were friends? No, that couldn't be it. The boy was a step away from being a recluse and a little oblivious but he wasn't that slow.  
No...no way…was he….  
" Tobio! " he cried chasing after him.

………..

They eat takeout after they're done, courtesy of Tobio who seems to be full of surprises. It's almost torture but Tooru's thundering heart decides he…likes the playful glances and teasing words coming from Tobio.

He can't say he expected it but by the end of the night, he's breathless not only from lifting but from the boy's presence.

"It’s getting late Tobio-chan…you sure you don't want me to walk you to the dorms?" He asks looking up at him as he stands from the kitchen table.

"You can, but then you would have to walk home in the dark."

"I can handle the dark," he says firmly. Tobio looks like he knows Tooru wasn't really asking in the first place but he sighs and shrugs anyways like it's a big task to have Tooru around.

Tooru indulges him and pretends he doesn't see the small smile Tobio is hiding in his shoulder.  
Tooru honestly isn't all that elated to be walking around in the dark, but he was even more disturbed at Tobio having to do it.

God, the sacrifices you make for matters of the heart. He knew if Mattsun was here, he'd get a judgemental stare.

They walked shoulder to shoulder, Tooru mostly chatting for most of the way. He doesn't even notice they've arrived in front of Tobio's dorm room until Tobio pauses.

"Oh!" He exclaims shortly. He had expected them to be a bit more...classier he guesses but then again it's just a dorm room.

"Yeah, this is me. Well us. Since I live here with someone!"

Tooru snorts at how flustered Tobio is before he remembers the pressing question he had for the boy.  
"Tobio?"  
"Hm?'  
"You...we are friends right?" He asks, trying not to seem too hopeful.

Tobio stares at him for a long minute, so intense that Tooru feels his stomach flipping. Then he reaches up and grabs at Tooru's sweatshirt, pulling him down and kissing him...square on the mouth.  
Tooru gasps, arms flying to find purchase on the boy's waist when he pulls away, face a bright red and eyes wide. Almost reminiscent of when they had first met.

"I like you a lot, Tooru-san. I don't want to just be friends…I want…" he trails off like he doesn't know what to say.  
"More." Tooru finishes empathetically, pulling him closer and pressing another soft kiss to his pouting lips.  
"Yes. More." He says as Tooru backs him into his dorm door, a small thud resounding through the hallway.

Tooru cannot concern himself with this because he is too busy trying to kiss Tobio senseless, and by the garbled moans flowing out his mouth, Tooru thinks he's doing a good job of it.

"Kageyama? Did you forget your key again? God, no need to bust down the door!" A voice said from inside the form room causing him and Tobio to fly apart as the door opens.  
"Hey- Grand king!" The roommate yells and Tooru recognizes him as Tobio's teammate with bright orange hair.

Tobio lets out a groan beside him, pushing the orange-haired kid into the room.

"You are so fucking embarrassing you know that?" He says glaring at him but the boy doesn't look bothered, shouting his praises to Tooru as Tobio pushed him to the ground.  
“Thank you,” Tooru says although he’s a little confused about what he’s saying.

"Sorry about him. I'll see you soon…" he trails off. Tooru smiles softly, his heart feeling full.

"Of course Tobio. Goodnight." He says helping him close the door.

As he walks away, he hears Tobio scream at the boy.  
"Why would you say that?!"  
"What?! I didn't do anything -"  
"And you're the one who lost their key for a month!"  
"Hey, I thought we weren't bringing that up anymore! "  
"You complete dumbass!"

Tooru runs the rest of the way home, the bubbly feeling in his chest threatening to burst.

……

"Okay, this is just ridiculous," Tooru says with squinting eyes.  
"Ridiculous?! I'll have you know that this video of the sunrise is top-notch!" His clubmate exclaims furiously.

"Look Sato, I'm sure your…sunrise videos are great and all but what does that have to do with our night sky exploration project?" He asks snatching the sheet away from him and using his mouth to rip off the pen cap. He was basically juggling everything in the club with how non-touch everyone was.

"Sunrise has to do with the sky right?" Mitsuki Ito voices up. Tooru let out a quiet laugh before shrugging and ticking off some other projects they could work on.  
"I guess you're right."  
He glanced up at the clock and saw it was 7 meaning the club was over and so was…  
"Well, we can end here today. Have a great rest of your night!" He exclaims, waving as everyone moved out. He quickly packs up his stuff, rushing out the room and following the squeaking noise once again.

He pops his head into the door to see Tobio in the middle of setting the orange...sorry Hinata. 

He still gets that disgusting fluttery feeling in his chest when he sees Tobio do anything, but it's amplified with heat when it's a volleyball thing.

He prays he hadn’t developed some sort of volleyball kink.

Their eyes meet and Tooru grins, waving at him. Tobio smiles back, speed walking over to him, Hinata at his heels.  
"Tooru-"  
"Oikawa! Are you here to practice with us?" Hinata asks excitedly, shaking his hand. Tobio's expression is sour as he shoves the redhead away, his fingers curling tightly around Tooru's bicep.

"I'm serious, embarrass me one more time and I'll kill you!"

Hinata rolls his eyes as he playfully nudges Tobio who looks like he's holding in a laugh.

"Ah, sorry chibi-chan. Maybe next time. I'm having dinner with Tobio-chan today." He says smiling over at the said boy who is blushing once again.

"Oh! Well, make sure to bring him back home before 10."

"I'm staying over actually so don't wait up. "  
"My my, Kageyama you sly-"  
"Hinata," he whines, attempting to kick him away but not wanting to depart from Tooru's side.

They both terrifyingly remind Tooru of him and Iwaizumi. He shudders at the thought.

"Oh, are you cold? Sorry, I'll be quick." Tobio says leaning up to press a kiss on his cheek before speeding to the locker room.

Tooru closed his eyes for a second, trying to reign in his urge to scream.  
Damn Tobio-chan and his smoothness.

Tooru does his best to avoid the insistent glances from the other members of the volleyball team. It's like they want to force him to join but with their eyes. He inwardly apologized.

He was still resting, and speaking of he had a check-in appointment next week meaning he would have to travel back home. God, it's been months since he's seen anyone, he couldn’t imagine how different everything would be.

Or maybe it would be the same. Somehow that was worse to imagine. He shakes out his thoughts by Tobio approaching him with his bag.

"Ready to go?"

Tooru smiles leaning down to kiss him soundly.

"Yup. I just have the best idea on what I can make for dinner."

"The last time you said that you almost lost a chunk of your counter. "

"Yes, but the food turned out good right?"

Tobio glared at him and Tooru didn't even try to hold back his laugh.

"It was! You had thirds!" He exclaimed, swinging their laced hands in time with their steps. Tobio snorted rolling his eyes.  
"I do that all that time. That's how I normally eat."  
"Yeah...But you ate it faster than usual. "  
"Okay, Tooru." He snorted once more smiling up at him. Tooru smiles back, perhaps a bit too wide but he didn't care. He was brimming with happiness.

….

"Can you hand me the eggs?" He asks. He only gets a hum in response and turns to see Tobio sitting on his counter, struggling to open a package of butter.  
He rolls his eyes fondly before carefully taking it from him, and taking the knife as well. Tobio should never have a knife in his hand, or anything sharp actually. The boy was unusually clumsy for someone so great at setting.

He opened it for him, and handed back the butter, and grabbed the eggs himself, watching Tobio out the corner of his eye as he chopped butter into a bowl.

"Stop staring at me."

"I'm not even looking at you." Tooru lies, whisking the eggs. He glances back to see Tobio giving his usual look of pure disbelief.

"I can see you following my every move out the corner of my eye. I hope you don't do that in public."  
"And if I did?!"  
"Then I guess I should be calling your parents and telling them the name of the jail you'll be sent off to." He says with a smirk, dodging the eggshell Tooru tosses at him.

"Speaking of my parents, I'm going home next weekend."  
"Why?"  
"For a check-up. With my physical therapist, gotta get back to volleyball as soon as possible." He says with a short laugh, turning to see Tobio’s reaction.

"Really?" He asks, eyes wide and sparkling, his face already looking flushed with excitement.

"Yeah. Glad that was your response." He said laughing, pushing up into the space between Tobio's legs and leaning forward to kiss him.

He makes a short humming noise before pulling back.

"How long will you be gone? Wait...you are coming back right?" Tobio asks, suddenly looking worried.  
"What?! Of course, I'm coming back. I'll only be gone this weekend."

"Oh. That’s good. Tobio said, releasing a sigh. Tooru stared at him for a bit, but the way he was avoiding his eyes was bothersome.

"Why so glum darling?"  
"I'm not glum! Just...gonna miss you," he says so quietly, Tooru had to lean a bit closer to catch it.

He smiles softly, cupping his face in his hands.

"You can just come with me then."

Tobio looks beyond shocked, his mouth hanging open and eyes wide.  
Tooru takes the chance to kiss him.

"Are you sure I won't be intruding? I mean I assume you're staying at your parents so -"  
"It's fine Tobio. Don’t worry your pretty little head about a thing. Except maybe what you're packing. " he explains.

Tobio's legs wrap around his back to stop him from moving, hands tightly fisted in his shirt.

"I really like you Tooru." He says sounding more vulnerable than Tooru had ever heard him. Maybe that should be scary but all Tooru can do is sigh lovingly, and hug him tightly.

"I really like you too Tobio."

And he remembers how isolated he had felt while first moving here, and how every day had gotten better since Tobio turned up on his doorstep.  
This truly is home.

**Author's Note:**

> I am someone who hates fish but anyways I really hope you enjoyed this! I'm planning on making this a series? I don't know, something about Oikage having a garden and a cat living in a huge house really makes my brain tingle. Plus, I hope to include his trip home, and him getting back into volleyball...plus finally getting his expensive ass a job.  
> Tell me what you think about this and have an amazing week!


End file.
